Allegheny students have always been able to work with the rich natural resources abundant in the region. Wildlife provides an interactive, outdoor classroom that offers endless opportunities for study and research. As always, students partner with local organizations to produce meaningful science for the benefit of all of us who live and work in the area.
One of the French Creek residents, the otter, is a key figure in the ecosystem. Because these aquatic mammals mark their territory on land, students can study their latrines. The odor attracts other mammals to the Creek and they too will mark territory. By studying the content of those latrines, students learn what those predators are eating, enabling insight to which fish are being consumed. “This look into biodiversity provides a link to which species are necessary for the environmental health of the area,” says Assistant Professor Kelly Pearce.
Otters are top predators in the system. If the Watershed is unhealthy for example, we have poor water quality. This could cause fish die-offs, and ESS students will see that represented in the otter population. Healthy otters are indicators of healthy ecosystems. The very fact that there are otters in the French Creek means that there’s a robust food web underneath that can support their population. This indicates high quality water.
Making these discoveries and connections develops Allegheny students into future conservationists and Watershed stewards. They begin to understand the connection between humans and wildlife and the incredible biodiversity here and in the world.
Learn more about Allegheny’s Watershed Conservation Research Center
